In the races to represent the Monadnock region in the New Hampshire General Court lower house, better known as the House of Representatives, local voters were split evenly down party lines.
For the 18 spots chosen by area voters, nine are to be filled with Democrats and nine are to be filled with Republicans.
Ivy Vann, a Democratic incumbent from Peterborough, praised voter enthusiasm.
“I’m feeling very positive about the turnout this year, people are engaged,” she said. “It’s a shame thought that it had to come to this to get people engaged.”
Vann won reelection to represent Hillsborough District 3 along with fellow Democrat and incumbent Peter Leishman. They received 2,105 and 2,288 votes, respectively, while challenger Gary Carpenter won 1,419.
Democrats also won both seats in Hillsborough District 4, which represents Francestown, Greenfield, Lyndeborough and Wilton. Again both incumbents, Carol Roberts and Kermit Williams defeated Edwina Hastings and Merrilee Schwanke in a tight race where first and fourth were only separated by 183 votes.
In Hillsborough 3, Jonathan Manley won the Democrats an uncontested seat.
Republicans cornered a few districts in Hillsborough County as well, including District 26, where no incumbents were running.
John Lewicke and John Carr won to represent Mason and Brookline, defeating Democrats Melanie Levesque and Gale Taylor.
The same happened in District 25, representing New Ipswich, Sharon and Temple. Republicans Paul Somero and Craig Moore won with almost two thirds of the vote over Laura Lynch and Lisa Beaudoin.
Beaudoin said, “I am running in a district that 80 percent Republicans, you can’t win if you don’t play and it’s an honor just to run.”
Hillsborough voters were split in Districts 1 and 38.
In District 1, which holds Antrim, Republican Jim Fedolfi joined incumbent Democrat Marjorie Porter. The other incumbent Democrat, Gilman Shattuck, lost, along with Republican Charles Levesque.
District 38 was similar. Incumbent Democrat Richard McNamara kept his seat to represent many ConVal towns along with Wilton and Lyndeborough. He was joined by Republican John Valera.
In Cheshire County, Republican incumbents were strong.
John Hunt and John O’Day won the uncontested 11th District to represent Rindge.
Frank Sterling kept his seat in District 14, winning 4,983 votes, 4,134 of which came from Jaffrey, Rindge and Dublin. He beat challenger Les Lamois.
Democrats won two seats in District 9. Incumbents Richard Ames and Douglas Ley prevailed over Roger Creekmore and Chris Mazerall.
Heather Ames, Richard’s wife, spoke on the partnership between Ames and Ley: “They stand for stability, responsibility and working across the aisle, they will make a better New Hampshire.”
In New Hampshire, there is a representative for roughly every 3,300 residents, making it the most representative democratic body in the world.
Schwanke, a Republican who lost in Hillsborough County, said the campaign has been a unique New Hampshire experience, as she stood at the polls with two of her daughters.
“We’ve had a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s been a family affair.”